Suffolk Construction Co., a Boston firm, won the $1 billion contract to build the Wynn Everett resort and casino. Wynn Resorts won the right to build a casino in the Boston sururb of Everett in October 2014. The development is expected to be open by the end of 2018.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. contacted over a dozen major construction companies across the United States about building the integrated resort-casino along the Mystic River. Suffolk Construction was one of a handful of finalists for the job. Wynn Resorts said it chose the Boston-based construction firm because its pledge to meet its timeline commitments and its attention to detail.

DeSalvio on Suffolk Construction

Robert DeSalvio, a Wynn executive, released a statement on the choice of Suffolk Construction. DeSalvio said, “Building a five-star resort that meets the Wynn quality standards requires an attention to detail that is unwavering. Suffolk Construction shares our values and is working with us full speed to meet our ground-breaking target.”

The Wynn contract is the latest coup in a series of coup’s for Suffolk, which already is the state’s largest construction firm. Representatives of Wynn Resorts say the casino development is the “largest private single-phase construction project in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Suffolk Construction handles $2.5 billion in projects each year, but says this is the largest development in the company’s 33 year history.

John F. Fish on Wynn Everett

John F. Fish, the CEO of Suffolk, said the Wynn Resort would be a key priority for his company. Fish said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To me, it is the crown jewel of our portfolio.”

John F. Fish took over Suffolk Construction from his father 33 years ago, at the age of 22. At the time, the company was in its embryonic www. John’s brother, Tom Fish, took over the family’s much older and larger company, Peabody. Thirty-three years later, Suffolk Construction is the top construction firm in the state, often beating out the smaller Peabody for contracts.

Suffolk Construction’s Developments

The people of Massachusetts would be amazed to learn of the imprint the Suffolk Construction Co. has had on the state. Suffolk built the $150 million Westin Boston Waterfront hotel and the $278 million Mandarin Oriental. The company also renovated the John Adams Courthouse, which was a $147 million at the time. $10.7 million Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood was another Suffolk project. The Boston Opera House, the Liberty Hotel (originally the Charles Street Jail), and the Four Seasons Hotel Boston are other Suffolk Construction projects Bostonians might recognize by name.

When he is not putting up prestigious buildings around the commonwealth, John F. Fish is one of Boston’s civic leaders and leading philanthropists. Fish was one of the leaders in trying to bring the 2024 Olympics to Boston. He also has made significant contributions to the Boston Pops, and chaired the “Presidents at Pops” event in 2005.

John F. Fish Flew to Meet Steve Wynn

In seeking out the Wynn Everett contract, John F. Fish flew to Las Vegas to personally introduce himself to Steve Wynn, the CEO and founder of Wynn Resorts. He made the meeting a priority shortly after Wynn Resorts won the Everett contract in the autumn of 2014.

Fish said he wanted to meet Steve Wynn personally. He told the Boston Globe, “This business is all about relationships, and I had never met Steve Wynn. We were hoping to be considered for a project in our own backyard.”

This will not be the first casino project John Fish’s people have handled. Suffolk Construction built the Quechan Casino Resort in Southern California, while building a couple of casinos in South Florida: Dania Casino and Jai Alai. None of them match the scope and opulence of the coming Wynn Resort in Everett.

Wynn Resort Plans

The Wynn Resort, which is planned to cost $1.7 billion in all, is expected to include a 600-room luxury hotel, a gambling hall, a ballroom, a spa, and a convention center. The resort will be the centerpiece of an integrated shopping area with many name brand retail outlets, along with fine dining restaurants, pop eateries, and nightclubs. The entire complex, which is expected to comprise just under 3 million square feet, is going to be 70% the size of Boston Common.

The development is expected to include a 24-story curved glass tower, as well as a boardwalk or promenade on 33 acres overlooking the Mystic River. To secure the gaming license, Steve Wynn promised to clean out the Mystic River by introducing 250,000 clams to the area, which will act as a natural water cleaning system. When completed, the Wynn Resort is going to make Everett a prime destination for millions of gamblers and other visitors each year. The construction job is expected to create 4,000 temporary jobs, while the resort-casino is expected to create 4,000 permanent jobs, when completed.

About Cliff Spiller

Cliff Spiller has been an online writer for 14 years. He worked for Small World Marketing for a decade, where he covered topics like gaming, sports, movies, and how-to guides. Since 2014, he has blogged about US and international gambling news on BestOnlineCasinos.com, USPokerSites.com, and LegalUSPokerSites.com

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